Did you know that half of American kids these days aren't drinking enough water?
Many teens won't drink just plain water and show significant signs of dehydration. When you don't get enough water, your body can't function the way it's supossed to. Hydrated kids have better mental clarity, more energy and less toxic build up in their bodies.
Our bodies are made of 70% water so it makes sense that drinking water is so important to you body's proper function. Why not form the habit in your kids for something that will benefit them for the rest of their lives?
Here are a few ways to make drinking water a habit for your kids.
- Try to introduce water as the primary drink early on in life. Once juice or other drinks are the norm, it's more difficult to get them to drink plain water.
- Make sure your kids see you drinking water. They mimic a lot of what we do so set a positive example.
- Make fun shaped ice cubes to put in their water. Put fruit in the cubes to make it even more interesting.
- Buy them a new, fun cup just for drinking water.
- Keep water on hand in bottles to grab as you go out the door so you're never without a drink.
- Make a water drinking reward chart to start you off on the right foot.
- Have water be your go to drink with juice only for special occasions.
- Show your kids how important water is with a wilted plant. Let them see the difference after the plant's been watered.
*Remember that thirst is not a good indicator of dehydration. If you're thirsty it's too late and you've been dehydrated for awhile. Also, drinking water just to quench that thirst does not mean it's an adequate amount to fully rehydrate.